When one week of the NFL season ends, another one begins very quickly, and that's the case with Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season, which is right around the corner. The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs will be kicking off the new week of action, and for fantasy football owners, it's a chance to get off to a good start by having a player put up some production in the first game of the week. So with kickoff quickly approaching, let's look at our start 'em sit 'em list for the Broncos and Chiefs Thursday Night Football contest.
Broncos-Chiefs Start ‘Em
Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, KC
Yes, it's an obvious play, but you should be starting Patrick Mahomes in this one if you have him. Mahomes hasn't been outrageously good through five weeks, as his 19.78 points per game is just seventh among quarterbacks, and the lack of playmakers around him is having a negative impact on his fantasy value. Still, 20 points per game from your quarterback is nothing to scoff at, and against a porous Broncos defense, Mahomes could end up having an explosive performance in Week 6.
Travis Kelce, Tight End, KC
Another obvious play, assuming he's actually healthy enough to play, is to start Travis Kelce. Kelce picked up a low-ankle sprain in the Chiefs Week 5 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, but still ended up scoring the game-winning touchdown and putting together his best outing of the season anyways. Even after missing Kansas City's Week 1 opener, Kelce has scored the second most points of any tight end in the league, and he is an easy start if he is suiting for this one.
Isiah Pacheco, Running Back, KC
Isiah Pacheco is rounding into form after a bit of a slow start to the season, scoring touchdowns in each of his past three games, and he has a great shot to make that four straight games against the Broncos. The Chiefs could be playing from ahead for much of this game, which would result in a lot of work for Pacheco on the ground. You could get burned if Pacheco doesn't hit paydirt, as he doesn't rack up gaudy yardage totals, but again, playing against Denver is all the reason you need to lock the Chiefs starting running back into your lineups.
Russell Wilson, Quarterback, DEN
Nobody is going to compare Mahomes and Russell Wilson's success on the football field, but in the fantasy football world, they've actually been pretty similar this season. Wilson is averaging 19.26 points per game, and while there are certainly better options available, this may not be a bad week to turn to him if you need to. Wilson is probably going to have to throw the ball a lot in this game to keep the Broncos competitive, and while it may not be pretty, it could lead to a solid fantasy performance.
Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver, DEN
For the most part, Wilson likes to spread the ball around in his offense, but if he has a favorite target, it's Courtland Sutton. Sutton had actually put up four straight double-digit fantasy scoring outings prior to hauling in just one pass for 13 yards in Week 5 against the New York Jets. Going against Sauce Gardner was always going to be tough for Sutton, and while the Chiefs defense is solid, it's a more favorable individual matchup for him, and he should be able to get back on track in this one.
Harrison Butker, Kicker, KC
Being part of a top-tier offense automatically helps make a kicker a valuable fantasy football option, but even beyond that, Harrison Butker is one of the better kickers in the league. He hasn't missed a field goal through the first five weeks of the season, and has added at least two extra points in every game as well. It would obviously be nice if Kansas City's offense was playing up to their normal standard, but again, the Broncos defense is bad enough where it seems like Butker will have his fair share of field goal opportunities in this game.
Chiefs D/ST
The Chiefs defense has managed to hold their own from a fantasy perspective for much of the season, but for the most part, you want to play matchups with your defense, and the Chiefs have a favorable one against the Broncos. Sure, Wilson and Sutton could have productive days, but the overall outlook of the unit is messy, and that bodes well for Kansas City. They may give up some points, but there's no way Kansas City makes it through this game without forcing a turnover or two, and they are a sneaky good play against Denver.
Broncos-Chiefs Sit ‘Em
Jerry Jeudy, Wide Receiver, DEN
Jerry Jeudy just cannot find a way to be a consistent producer for the Broncos, and at some point, fantasy owners need to figure that out. While Jeudy has big games from time to time, he's also incredibly prone to producing a dud due to just how bad Denver's offense is. Sutton has the safer floor of the bunch, and while Jeudy could break out at any moment, expecting that to happen against the Chiefs just doesn't seem realistic, and he should be left on the bench for this one.
Javonte Williams. Running Back, DEN
Another talented player who has fallen victim to the Broncos wayward offense is Javonte Williams. Prior to the mess that the Broncos became victim to with the addition of Wilson, Williams looked like a guy who had RB1 upside for fantasy owners. But ever since then, he's struggled with injuries and poor production when he's actually played. Williams sat out Week 5 for Denver, and betting on him to actually put up big numbers on a night where Denver will likely spend most of their time playing from behind seems like a bad idea.
Rashee Rice, Wide Receiver, KC
Rashee Rice has emerged as the only wide receiver worth actually considering to start on a weekly basis, and he rewarded owners with a nice 13.3 point outing in Week 5. Until he puts together more consistent production, though, it's going to be tough to totally rely on Rice on a weekly basis. Again, the Chiefs seem likely to be in total control of this game, and for Rice, that means he's likely going to have to find the endzone early if he wants to put up a salvageable fantasy line.
Kadarius Toney, Wide Receiver, KC
It seemed like Kadarius Toney was going to be the top wide receiver in the Chiefs offense this season, but so far, that hasn't materialized. We have seen Toney have explosive outings in the past, and who knows, he could break out here against the Broncos awful defense. But placing any sort of trust in Toney seems like a bad idea, and while he's worthy of consideration in deeper leagues if you desperately need someone, you would be better off finding another option to throw in your starting lineup.
Samaje Perine, Running Back, DEN
Samaje Perine is part of the interesting group of pass-catching running backs that you just truly cannot figure out what to do with. Perine only has value in PPR leagues, and it seemed like he could be in for a big day in Week 5 with Williams out. Instead, he put together a mediocre line for fantasy owners who rolled with him, and while there's a chance he could provide a bit of value catching passes out of the backfield, there's no sense starting him now that Williams is back in the fold.
Broncos D/ST
The Broncos defense has been the worst in the league in terms of pretty much every metric, but surprisingly, the Chicago Bears and New York Giants defensive units have actually been worse than Denver from a fantasy perspective this year. Still, this is a defense that gave up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins earlier this season; who knows what Mahomes will be able to do to them. Unless you are trying to impress your friends by winning while starting Denver's defense, there's no reason to even consider playing them this week.
Will Lutz, Kicker, DEN
Will Lutz hasn't necessarily been bad this season, but as we mentioned above with Butker, the offense you are a part of as a kicker plays a massive role in determining your fantasy value. The Broncos offense is not good, and they aren't putting Lutz in many situations where he can put up fantasy points for owners who are playing him. There are a handful of better options to start at kicker than Lutz this week, and you'd be wise to go find one of them before Week 6 gets underway.
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